Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus and a corresponding method for producing a continuous foamed extrudate product in which the extrusion and initial expansion of the foamed extrudate is conducted within a chamber under a partial vacuum. The foamed extrudate is then removed from the chamber through an orifice submerged within a liquid baffle. The dimensions of the foamed extrudate are monitored as it approaches the orifice and, if necessary, the effective sizing of the orifice is adjusted through the movement of a pair of side gates and a single vertical gate arranged external the orifice to match opening to the foamed extrudate and impede the flow of liquid into the chamber through the orifice.

Abstract: A fabric-retaining structure includes: a body; and a fabric-gripping jaw arrangement coupled to the body. The jaw arrangement includes: a crenated jaw having crenated teeth and a serrated jaw having serrated teeth. The crenated jaw is arranged in opposition to the serrated jaw.

Abstract: Methods are provided for forming a plurality of air diffusers from a single fiberglass and foil blank. At an automated pre-forming station upstream of a molding station, a blank has pressed therein two air diffuser patterns at a middle portion, two patterns at a first catercorner portion and two patterns at a second catercorner portion and the pressing of each set of two patterns occurs substantially simultaneously to prevent the foil from delaminating from the fiberglass. Thereafter, the blank is fed to a molding station that applies a significantly larger pressing force and heats the blank to form six air diffusers. Perforations are cut in the blank to facilitate separation of the air diffusers in a trimming station downstream of the molding station. Preferred pressing of air diffuser patterns occurs with pneumatic actuated male and female air diffuser pattern molds that are sequentially operated in accordance with a desired pattern.

Abstract: An insulated duct-wrap insulating product for an air duct that incorporates a wicking media to transport condensed water on the duct surface to be evaporated into the atmosphere. A wicking fabric, or fibrous media, incorporated as part of the insulating duct wrap is in contact with the metal air duct surface. A portion of the wicking fabric extends into the interior of the air duct, typically through joints in the duct system. When water vapor condenses on the air duct surface it is transported by the wicking fabric and evaporated from the wick surface within the air stream being transported by the ducting system.

Abstract: A process for forming thermoplastic composites that uses wet use chopped strand glass is provided. Wet reinforcement fibers such as wet chopped strand glass fibers are opened by passing the fibers consecutively through a first opener, a condenser, and, optionally, a second opener. The opened reinforcement fibers are mixed with a resin and transferred to a first sheet former. The resin is preferably polypropylene fibers. An optional second sheet former may be used to form a final composite having high structural integrity. The resulting sheet may be optionally passed through a needle felting machine for mechanical strengthening. The sheet is then passed through a thermal bonder to thermally bond the reinforcement glass fibers and resin. The composite product that exits the thermal bonder can be subsequently used as a reinforcement in a molding process to produce composite articles.

Abstract: The present invention is directed towards an apparatus for guiding continuous materials. In one embodiment of the invention, the apparatus comprises first and second conveyors, each comprising a continuous conveyor belt carried by a set of pulleys including a drive pulley and an idler pulley. The conveyor belts have opposing inner surfaces that are oriented to travel substantially parallel to one another to sandwich continuous materials therebetween. The ratio of the diameters of the idler pulleys to the drive pulleys is greater than about 8:1. In another embodiment of the invention, a chopper is provided. The chopper comprises a cutting roll and a cot member defining a nip region therebetween. The cutting roll has an axis of rotation that is aligned substantially parallel to an axis of rotation of a cot member. The small turning radii permit the conveyor belts to extend within the nip region.

Abstract: A two-part sizing composition that imparts improved resistance to hydrolysis of reinforced composites including a size composition and a binder composition is provided. The size composition may include one or more coupling agents, one or more lubricants, and at least one wetting agent. The binder composition may include a copolymer formed from maleic anhydride and at least one other copolymerizable monomer, at least one crosslinking agent, and a surfactant or mixture of surfactants. In at least one exemplary embodiment, the maleic anhydride copolymer is a maleic anhydride-butadiene copolymer partial ammonium salt. The size composition may be applied to a reinforcing fiber material before the binder size material is applied. The two-part size composition may be applied to a reinforcing fiber material to form a reinforcing fiber product which may then be densified or compacted to form a densified reinforcing fiber product, such as a pellet.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for forming a densified surface layer on a thermoplastic blanket. The apparatus includes first and second continuous belts, a treatment zone defined between those belts, first and second heating and densifying units and a cooler downstream from the heating and densifying units. The method includes the steps of continuously forming a densified surface layer on a face of a thermoplastic blanket and making the thermoplastic blanket with the densified surface layer to a desired thickness within strict dimensional tolerances. A densified thermoplastic blanket product is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method of recycling building materials is described, including the steps of introducing the building material into a cement kiln or a boiler, and combusting a combustible portion of the building material as a fuel within the kiln or boiler. The noncombustible portion of the building material is incorporated into a clinker material within the kiln or used to reduce emissions form the boiler.

Abstract: Provided are a method and apparatus for fabricating a panel product including a board, panel or substrate having at least one surface on which a decorative image and alignment marks corresponding to an image data file are applied. The alignment marks and the image data file are then used to align an intermediate product with one or more cutting devices. Once aligned, the original image data file or a transformed version of the image data file is used to control cutters or other tools for removing waste portions of the panel product. The panel product may then be subjected to additional processing, particularly with regard to edge treatments, to obtain a final panel product.

Abstract: A binder slurry for a continuous filament mat used in a phenolic pultrusion system comprising a phenolic compatible silane, a non-ionic surfactant, a defoamer, water, an organic acid and a bisphenol epoxy powdered resin having a thermally active dicyandiamide cross-linking resin. The binder slurry resin is unique in that the bisphenol epoxy powdered resin having a thermally active dicyandiamide cross-linking resin is compatable with presently available phenolic resins, and as such pultruded parts made have improved surface and mechanical properties as compared with traditional polyester type binder slurries which are not compatable with phenolic resins. Continuous filament mats made with the new binder slurry also may also be made into epoxy prepreg that can be used to make composite parts.

Abstract: A method for forming odd-shaped mufflers is achieved by first introducing an unfilled muffler insert having a desired number of pipes and partitions within a two-piece shaped tool. Fibrous material is introduced within desired compartments formed between the shaped tool and unfilled insert to form a filled insert. The shaped tool and filled insert are then placed on a winding device. A yarn thread is then wound and secured around the fibrous material within a gap created between the two pieces of the shaped tool. The winding device and shaped tool are then removed from the filled and wound muffler insert. The wound and filled muffler insert may then either be pressed into a previously formed muffler shell, or alternatively, the muffler shell may be formed around the wound and filled muffler insert to form the muffler.

Abstract: A formulation for controlling the thickening profile for sheet molding compositions to a lower viscosity for use in low pressure molding conditions is provided. The B side addition of a modified alkaline earth oxide thickening system using a combination of oxides results in a sheet molding compound that is tack free at lowered viscosities. These sheet molding compounds exhibit extended shelf lives, good flowability, and excellent handling characteristics.

Abstract: Panels for a suspended ceiling of the torsional spring type are disclosed. Such panels can include: a circumferential edge configuration that preserves a very tight tolerance between a surface bearing against a foot portion of a T-bar and a face of the panel; and/or reinforcing ribs in the form of T-bars whose foot portions are inserted between the laminae of a typical ceiling panel. Each circumferential side edge configuration is multifaceted and includes: a first surface intersecting the back surface; a second surface intersecting the first surface and substantially parallel to the face surface; a third surface intersecting the second surface and substantially orthogonal to the face surface; and a fourth surface intersecting, and being beveled relative to, the third surface. The length of the first surface will vary in close proportion to the variations in the thickness of a new panel, which makes the machined back-to-face distance very uniform.

Abstract: By utilizing a pH indicator having known color change characteristics, an accurate determination of the pH of a binder surface, and hence the amount of cure of a polycarboxylic acid based binder on the fiberglass fibers, can be easily determined for polycarboxylic binder based fiberglass materials used in insulation and composite applications. Based on these results, the manufacturing line used to make these bindered materials may be adjusted to ensure adequate curing at maximum efficiency while minimizing operating costs and reducing waste.

Abstract: In a method of reinforcing and waterproofing a paved surface, a layer of liquefied asphalt is applied on a paved surface. A reinforcement mat is then applied over the liquefied asphalt. The reinforcement mat includes a first layer comprising a nonwoven mat produced from fibers selected from the group consisting of mineral fibers, polymer fibers, and mixtures thereof. The reinforcement mat also includes a second layer of mineral fibers attached to the first layer. The liquefied asphalt penetrates and soaks the reinforcement mat to form a water barrier. A layer of paving material is then applied a over the reinforcement mat. The first layer and the second layer of the reinforcement mat are attached to each other by any one of sewing, knitting, needling, heat treating, and adhering with an adhesive, or combinations thereof.

Abstract: The invention relates to an insulation product comprising an elongated fibrous batt with a polymeric encapsulating layer and, optionally, a vapor or other barrier layer on one or more surfaces of the fibrous batt and an apparatus for manufacturing such an insulation product.

Abstract: Disclosed is an apparatus and a method for at least partially encapsulating a fiber batt or other substrate by applying a polymer fiber layer to one or more surfaces of the fiber batt or substrate by melt-blowing. The melt-blowing assemblies are arranged and configured to extrude both a polymer melt and a hot gas stream whereby the hot gas stream attenuates the polymer melt to form polymer melt fibers and to direct the polymer melt fibers toward a surface to be coated. The melt-blowing assemblies are further of the fiber batt. A combination of melt-blowing assemblies may be provided in either fixed or moveable configurations for coating one or more sides of the fiber batt.

Abstract: A composite part made from a sheet molding compound is disclosed as having improved characteristics over traditional sheet molding compound composite parts. The composite part may be made from a unique sheet molding compound material having a resin impregnated filamentized fiber layer and a resin impregnated fiber layer prior to compaction. The resin impregnated filamentized fiber layer side prevents the movement of partially filamentized or unfilamentized fibers to the visible surface of the composite part when the part is molded. The resin impregnated filamentized fiber layer may be contain a conductive filamentized fiber such that the surface of a sheet molding compound may be conductive and be capable of being electrostatically sprayed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a variety of extended polyacrylic acid based binder compositions comprising a low molecular weight polyacrylic acid (typically hypophosphite or sulfite terminated), a crosslinking agent (such as triethanolamine or glycerol) and one or more water soluble materials, such as lignin, low molecular weight starch and soybean protein. The extended binder composition of the present invention provides a lower cost binder composition without degrading the performance and may be selected to alter one or more characteristics of the basic binder composition such binder wetting, emulsion compatibility, dust suppression and wash water flow properties.